distrupted
by starsinmysky
Summary: Riley wants Maya and Josh to work things out, but this isn't what she had in mind. One shot.


**disrupted**

* * *

He called earlier in the day to say he'd be coming over to visit Cory, opening the door with an excited "Hey family" typical greeting before bro-hugging his brother. She sits still at the kitchen table, staring at him from afar. There's an unusually blank expression plastered on her face. He's been busy with college and Maya hasn't seen him as often as she would like. He greets everyone with a hug, except Auggie who gets playfully tossed around before being placed on his uncle's shoulders. He lets him down somewhat gently after a few moments and turns to Maya, his smile visibly fading. The tension in the room is suddenly palpable to everyone in it.

"Hey," he greets, with much less enthusiasm than expected.

She forces a bleak smile that doesn't reach her eyes and gives a simple, "Hi."

They haven't seen each other for months, not since before Maya turned sixteen. Everything's been normal and there's no real reason for them to be acting this way, but each time he visits their interactions get more awkward and less natural. It bothers her because she wants nothing more than to hug him and never let go until someone (probably Riley) pries her off of him, but she doesn't feel she can do that. After all, she's not thirteen anymore. And it bothers him because, though he would never outwardly admit it, he likes when he enters the apartment and Maya lights up and becomes overzealous. There used to be a twinkle in her eye when he visited and he wishes it was still there. Without a warning, things became so different between them.

Topanga (bless her heart) breaks the awkward silence. "Josh, are you staying for dinner?"

"Um, I guess. If that's okay with you," he replies with a shrug.

"We wouldn't have it any other way, buddy," Cory says, throwing an arm around his little brother, flashing a grin.

Auggie hugs Josh's side possessively. "Do you want to play Pokemon cards with me, Uncle Josh?"

Josh agrees with delight even though he would rather chew off his right arm than play a card game with a seven year old. The things he does to make his nephew happy.

. . . .

Topanga runs out to the grocery store to buy ingredients for dinner, taking Auggie with her to save Josh from his internal misery. Cory stays in his room, grading tests. And Riley, Maya, and Josh sit uncomfortably in the living room.

"How's high school been going?" Josh asks, trying to be casual.

"I like it," Riley answers honestly. "It's nice not being in the same school as my dad anymore."

"I bet. How about you, Maya?"

Her eyes meet his and she looks away quickly, giving a meaningless shrug. "It's okay. It's more work."

"Wait 'til you get to college," he almost laughs.

She frowns. "Trust me. I am."

He looks confused for a moment and Riley stands up from the couch. "Um, I'll be back in like ten minutes or so. I just remembered there's something I need to take care of." She marches off in the direction of her room with determination and Josh and Maya share confused glances.

"What was that about?" Josh wonders aloud.

"No idea. Maybe I should go find out." Maya stands and barely takes a step before Josh's fingertips brush her arm and tells her to wait. Her heart is pounding just from the slightest touch and she pauses. "What?"

He takes a deep breath. "I need to talk to you."

One of Maya's least favorite phrases to hear. She doesn't move a muscle as her brain starts scanning through anything he could possibly want to talk to her about that needed to be said in such a serious tone. He pats the spot on the couch beside him. She slowly sits down. "What's up?"

"Do you hate me?"

"What?"

"Do you hate me?" he repeats. "Did I say something or do something to make you hate me? Because I don't want you to hate me."

She stares at him, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. "I don't hate you. Not even a little. Why would you think that?"

He licks his lips. "Well, I've noticed that every time you and I see each other, you don't act as excited to see me as you used to."

"So that means I hate you?"

"I don't know. I certainly don't take it as a gesture of affection." He feels stupid for bringing it up, but it's been bothering him for a while. Plus they haven't conversed for this long in probably over a year, and it feels good.

She lets out a small laugh. "You expect me to act now like how I did three years ago?"

"No. I've just noticed... you're never excited to see me anymore, which sucks because I'm always excited to see you."

Her heart skips a beat. "What?"

He stiffens as what he realizes what he actually just said. She smiles to herself as he remains frozen in silence, staring at her.

"I don't hate you," she tells him again. "I like you a lot, but I've told you that before. And my liking you seemed like a burden for you, so I've been holding back. And it's been a lot easier than I thought."

"No, don't hold back," he says with sincerity, scooting closer to her. Their knees are touching and it sends a shiver down Maya's spine.

"You like when I basically throw myself at you and look like a fool?"

He nods. "Yeah, I do. But you don't look like a fool. You couldn't even if you tried."

She tries so hard not to smile, but she feels herself blushing and can't fight it so she grins down at her hands. His thumb and index finger take a hold of her chin and turn her face back to his direction. Their eyes meet and Maya can't help but take note of how close their faces are. It makes her pulse race through her veins. For a split second he glances toward her lips and right back to her eyes. He hopes she doesn't notice because he didn't mean to look at her lips, but she does notice. And her reaction is to turn her head away from him.

"Josh... What are you doing?" she asks.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you doing? You're telling me you like when I flirt with you and go all 'gaga' when you visit, but it's not fair to me. I'm not gonna jump on your back every time you come over just to be rejected every time too. It's just not fair, okay? I've spent years learning to control myself. I'm not gonna act like a dumb thirteen year old again."

He nods. "You're right, Maya. You shouldn't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"I know I'm right."

"But you're not entirely right."

She glances at him with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You're saying you would be rejected every time I come over, but that's not true."

"I'm confused."

"You're sixteen now, right?"

She nods wordlessly, unsure of where he's going with this.

"I know the age thing is still kind of a big deal right now, but honestly I don't really care anymore. You're the most mature sixteen year old I've ever met and I'm sick and tired of waiting. Since the second you hugged me at the Christmas party a few years ago, I've liked you. And I've hated myself for it. I still wish I didn't feel this way because, boy, life would be a lot easier, but I do. And the only thing I can do about it is tell you. So screw all the avoiding each other, okay? I hate that. I like you, Maya. And I don't want to hide it anymore."

"Wow," is all she can manage to squeak out. Her throat feels oddly dry all of a sudden. She is in shock and filled with disbelief that Josh is finally reciprocating her feelings. She feels as though her entire sixteen years of existence has been leading up to this moment.

He takes her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze and she smiles at him.

"I can't believe this is happening," she grins sheepishly.

"Can't believe what is happening?" he innocently questions.

"You telling me you like me... I just always hoped for this to happen, but I never really thought it would."

He's glad he didn't wait any longer to tell her how he feels. "Listen, Maya, I know a lot of people won't like the idea of us being together yet, but-"

Her eyes widen. "Together?"

"Y-yeah," he stutters. "We both like each other. Isn't that usually what happens?"

"I just don't get it," she says, her tone more serious than before. "You go to a huge school with thousands of girls on campus every single second and you're sitting here holding my hand talking about us being together? Like, it just doesn't make sense to me."

"What doesn't make sense to you?"

"I'm just confused and, quite frankly, overwhelmed with the fact that you're choosing a lame high school girl over a sophisticated college woman. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't many any sense to me. It feels too good to be true," she explains solemnly.

"First of all, you're not lame. You're one of the coolest, most interesting people I've ever met," he tells her honestly, taking her other hand. "Second, I know there's tons of girls at my school I could date, but they're not you. And I like you. I want you, Maya."

"Why?"

He doesn't expect her to ask this, but he doesn't hesitate to answer. "Because you're funny, and beautiful, and I've felt this way about you for years. You're really special to me and I don't want to just ignore how I feel and date girls at my school because I can, because it's more convenient. I know it probably sounds crazy, but I'm serious about everything I'm saying to you. And I came over here today to tell you all of this. I just couldn't hold it in anymore," he says. He feels himself slightly shaking from nerves. He's asked girls out before, but none of those moments had been nearly as important and serious as this one.

"I thought you just came over to visit family."

"I knew you'd be here and I planned on pulling you aside one way or another," he says pointblank.

She can feel her eyes watering from how happy she is hearing everything he's saying. She scoots even closer to him. "I'm so happy right now." She giggles and her overpowering grin makes him smile in return. Their faces start inching closer and closer together and hearts are pounding uncontrollably and before they know it their lips brush for a brief moment before they hear Riley's voice coming closer.

"I'm back!" she shouts stomping back into the living room. Maya and Josh jump apart as quickly as possible while Riley sits back down wearing a forced smile.

"That wasn't ten minutes," Maya says bitterly. If Riley had just waited a few more minutes, she'd be freaking kissing Josh right now.

"Oh well," Riley shrugs.

Maya and Josh roll their eyes, and they know they can make up for it another time.

They spend the rest of the day acting as though nothing happened between them which was difficult. And when it started getting dark out and he announced he needed to head back to his dorm to start a paper, goodbyes were said. She doesn't expect it, but he hugs her goodbye in front of everyone, and it lingers a moment too long, and very soon after Josh leaves.

. . . .

A few hours later, Riley and Maya are changed into their pajamas settling under the covers of Riley's duvet. Maya wasn't planning on spending the night, but after dinner Riley asked and it wasn't even a question for Maya.

"So today was nice," Riley says suddenly.

"Yeah," Maya agrees. "It was."

"Why was it nice for you?"

There is something in Riley's voice that sounds almost accusatory and Maya is taken aback. "Um, I don't know. It just was. Why was it nice for you?"

"Well I like when my Uncle Josh comes over and I get to spend quality time with him. Ever since he started college he's always busy. It's good that he still manages to find time to visit his family, you know?"

"Yeah, it's sweet of him, I guess." Maya has no idea where Riley is going with this conversation, but she's starting to feel slightly uncomfortable after everything that happened. Or almost happened.

"I liked hearing about his college stories at dinner."

"Really? They made me kind of scared for college. He had to write a ten page paper in a day," Maya reminds her with a disgusted look on her face.

"No, he didn't have to. He saved it for last minute."

"It's like the same thing."

"So you're not looking forward to college?" Riley frowns.

"I was. Now I'm not rushing," Maya says with a hint of a smile.

"Why not? Remember when you were excited for college because you wanted to go to NYU just because you used to like Josh?"

"Used to? Riley, I still like him," Maya admits.

She nods. "Uh huh. And he likes you too."

Maya feels her limbs go numb for a few moments and she forces a chuckle. "Um, I wish."

"Maya, stop pretending. I know he likes you. I know he told you so today."

"How could you possibly know that?" Maya asks, sitting up straight. "You weren't even in the room. You were off doing... something."

Riley shrugs and smiles. "I wasn't doing anything. I just knew that you and Josh really needed to talk things out because everyone was getting sick of feeling uncomfortable whenever you two were in the same room together. I didn't expect him to turn the moment into honesty hour."

"You eavesdropped on the whole conversation?" Maya asks, her jaw slightly dropping.

"Yeah."

"So did you purposely ruin our almost-kiss?"

Riley almost feels guilty about it, but she still strongly dislikes the idea of her uncle and best friend together. "Yeah, I had to intervene. I just wanted you two to become normal acquaintances again, I didn't want you to eat each other's faces."

"As my best friend, you owe me," Maya replies with a shrug.

"Ugh, fine. How about I give you his number? So you can text him all you want," Riley suggests.

"Hell yeah, I want his number," Maya replies instantly, perking up.

Riley sighs and reaches for her phone. She knows that nothing would ever be the same between Maya and Josh. She's mostly just scared that it's not gonna work out and Maya will be left heartbroken. She doesn't want that for her best friend. But as Maya is typing in his number she knows whatever is about to happen between her and Josh will be beautiful. It's been quite a long time coming and things seem to be falling into place.

She hasn't even had his number in her phone for thirty seconds before she sends him a text.

 _hey uncle boing_

She gets a reply a few minutes after and it makes her smile from ear to ear.

 _hey gorgeous. you owe me a kiss._

* * *

 **i hope this made you smile. review?**


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